A situated, African understanding of African feminism for men: a Ghanaian narrative

Abstract

Feminism provides a key analytical space for theory-building and re-centring historically marginalised narratives and epistemologies. However, the preponderance of women in feminist scholarship has been construed by some as meaning that feminism excludes the interest of men. Situated within a critical discourse analysis and drawing on interviews with men and key informant interviews with women, this essay investigates people's attitudes towards feminism in Ghana (with the concomitant discourses around what is African and what is Western). Feminism was largely perceived by most men and women as a dangerously feminising and Western construct, capable of destabilising the cultural exceptionalism of Ghanaian society. However, a few men appear to have embodied 'progressive' thinking about feminism and alternative constructions of masculinity. For such participants, embracing feminism comes at no cost to men and their manhood. They admit that men have benefited from a patriarchal system, which comes with opportunities and privileges; hence, the struggle for a better and gender equitable society continues. They propose the use and adoption of feminism as an important tool to precipitate shifts in how men approach both their relationships with women, and their own masculine identities.

Black, Female, and Divorced: A Discourse Analysis of Wangarĩ Maathai’s Leadership with Reflections from Naleli Morojele‘s Study of Rwandan and South African Female Political Leaders

“…Besides showing the power of the marriage institution in African female leadership, the above quote exemplifies a strand of African feminism that recognizes that men are an integral part of women's empowerment [14,37,41,58]. The above-quoted female leader suggests the importance of strategic collaboration, compromise, and balance to solve societal issues inclusively, as proposed by African feminist thought.…”

“…However, identification with feminism and related pursuits presents a dilemma for married African women who disengage from such activities, deeming them as incompatible with marital values [30]. Similarly, Dery [58] notes the strong resistance to feminism in Africa, where it is perceived as foreign and toxic. Political leadership in Kenya interpreted Maathai's leadership pursuits as being fueled by foreign ideologies that were anti-culture and unacceptable [10,14].…”

“…In this context, the obligation to responsibly collaborate with women is placed on the men. Dery [58] predicts the poor outcomes of excluding men from gender empowerment in Africa by viewing them only as perpetrators. It is unusual to expect perpetrators to collaborate.…”

Everyday peacebuilding among Ghanaian men: ambiguities, resistances and possibilities

“…When there is a public discussion on gender equitable masculinities, men from this part of Ghana are largely presented with a different lens. Such analysis continues to locate the identities of men from Northern Ghana as perpetrators of violence against women and 'enemies of feminist transformative agendas' (Dery 2020). As critical postcolonial scholars, we are concerned about how less accurate presentation and analyses of the embodiments of men from this part of the country may unintentionally perpetuate colonial discourses on African male subjectivities as dangerous, repressive and hyper aggressive.…”

Community leaders’ perceptions of and responses to intimate partner violence in Northwestern Ghana

“…These discursive constructs are often used to sustain power hierarchies and structures of inequalities between and among diverse social categories [ 4 , 5 ]. The power hierarchies and imbalances play crucial roles in shaping the dynamics and patterns of violence, including who is at the risk of experiencing violence and who is culpable of perpetrating violence [ 6 , 7 ]. In the process, the question on why and how violence is gendered becomes critical to feminist theorizing and knowledge production [ 8 , 9 ].…”